Love Fool
by xkristinaann
Summary: NARUSAKU - I've been watching your world from afar, I've been trying to be where you are, And I've been secretly falling apart... WARNING - Contains SasuSaku and NaruHina as well.
1. Prologue: Backend of Forever

**Author's Notes**: My idea is unoriginal, I'm sure it has been done before. So I begin this fiction with the utmost caution to not create something like all the rest and with hope to reel your hearts in with a carefully constructed order of words. Read and review; please.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Naruto, duh?

**Love Fool**;

Prologue: _Backend of Forever_

_---_

_She's the kind of girl you want so much_

_It makes you sorry_

_Still, you don't regret a single day._

_Oh, girl._

_---_

"Stop, stop, I really--"

She giggled as his hands took a hold of her hips and pulled her back to the sheets, already horribly tangled from their hours of play. While she had accomplished pulling back on half of her clothes--although said items remained unbuttoned and unzipped--the boy was still blissfully naked…but from what she saw she was not about to complain. As his teeth tugged on her earlobe all the reasons for needing to leave began to melt away; all she knew was that she never wanted to get out of that bed.

Then a mental image of his eyes hit her like a slap to the face.

Immediately she tensed and the latter paused his advances, watching her with a concerned sapphire gaze.

"Sakura cha--"

"I have to go."

She pushed him away and slithered from the unkempt mattress silently, bending down to pick up the rest of her wrinkled clothes. Pulling on her remaining garments in an awkward fumble, the kunoichi didn't bother looking back as she started striding towards the door at a rushed pace. As the knob turned, she began to pull it open only to have it slammed closed from above her. Sakura's eyes turned up to find a tan hand against the wood, a lump forming in her throat.

"Don't do this, Sakura."

"We have to stop before--"

"Before what? Someone finds out? Does any of that even matter anymore?"

She swallowed hard, the knob twisting in her hand.

"Please, don't make me feel worse, I don't want this coming from you, not you…"

"We _have_ to tell them," he replied in a low tone, edged in something feral.

"Ah!" Sakura cried out as he suddenly pressed her against the door from behind, hands sliding up her arms and over her shoulders, gripping them tightly. His groin pressed into her lower back and a electric shock sizzled through every inch of her body. Lips ghosted over the back of her ear, his hot breath hitting her in low pants.

"I can't stop seeing you, Sakura, this can't end now…" his voice rumbled.

If she did not leave now, she would never be able to later. At the moment Sakura knew the choice she had to make, despite the pain she knew it would cause. With all the strength the girl could muster, the door was yanked open and shut in the latter's face, a heavy sigh escaping her as she leaned back against the now closed entrance.

"We both need time to cool off." She began as tenderly as she could, knowing he was fuming on the other side of that wall. "I'm not trying to hurt you," her voice faltered for a second, a sudden pain in her chest constricting, "I'm just trying to keep both of us from being hurt. So please…don't say anything to either of them."

Before she could say another word, the sound of his fist hitting the wall ripped through her thoughts like a knife; she did not stay for any other reply. With tears lining her eyes, she ran as far from that apartment as her legs would carry her. How could she have let it gone so far so fast?

**A/N**: Oh yea, I'm about to go there, and it's going to get pretty ugly.

Much Love,

Usagi


	2. Love and Luxury

-1**Author's Notes: **If you don't like it, don't keep reading it. The last part was a prologue, this chapter is to begin the journey to that point. I use "---" as spacers to split different scenes, etc. First part is Sakura's POV.

**Disclaimer: **This is the last time you'll see this. I don't own Naruto.

**Love Fool**

**Chapter One**; _Love and Luxury_

---

_We set the wrong course and headed due north  
That's where we went wrong  
We were young and learning_

_Steady hearts hate turning  
That's where we went wrong._

---

I don't know when or how the entire situation came to be. Wait. That's a lie. I know _exactly_ how it started; one single look. It may sound ridiculous, but male nin are a lot more talented at hooking a prey with a simple stare than female nin are--despite the many arguments I have gotten into with Ino about it, I've managed to hold that belief. Sure, guys can be visually enticed with a little hip waggle or if you've managed to dress yourself in a training outfit that was better left to the bedroom, but girls…hit girls with a look to make them think they're the only person in the room and you've got a free pass to skip all the bullshit and head straight to the bedroom. To be perfectly honest I only thought one male in particular was capable of it--you know who I'm talking about ladies. He was mine, but apparently I had picked up one of the seven deadly sins during the timeline of our intimate relationship.

---

The reason for the celebration everyone in the village was attending seemed to have slipped the girl's mind as she nursed her third cup of sake down her throat. Her eyes were glued on a raven-haired boy, currently moving through the crowd with an annoyed expression as several younger kunoichi hounded him for attention. With a roll of her emerald gaze she turned her interest on a certain blonde, amazed to find her on Chouji's arm instead of battling Temari for Shikamaru's. She didn't know why she wasn't enjoying herself, apart from the fact her date was caught up in every other girl's arms except hers. There had to be someone else here to take her mind off things.

Her eyes, now slightly glazed, scanned the room: Tsunade, Jiraiya, Gai, and Kakashi at a corner table, two of them more influenced then the opposite pair, then across the room a tipsy Lee riling up Kiba, Shino, and Akamaru, with an infuriated TenTen holding him back while Neji kept to himself…wait, Kiba and Shino, where was Hinata? She knew he wasn't here, but she always came to be with her former teammates, unless…

An obnoxious voice was heard at the bar's entrance and then a clatter of glass as drinks were fumbled to the floor in a rush to greet whoever decided to be fashionably late. Her head snapped in the direction of the commotion, noticing a familiar head of violet bobbing through the crowd.

"Someone must be popular."

Sasuke snorted in attempt to make his annoyance more obvious than it already was and Sakura merely looked at him with mild interest.

"Jealous they have more fans than you?" She waved over another cup from the bartender, her need for more alcohol greater than her need of the boy next to her. His brows lowered from their normal brooding position.

"You're acting very cute tonight. I'm sorry I wasn't by your side earlier," he hissed just as venomously as she had, ordering a drink immediately after Sakura's fourth was set on the counter.

During the course of their relationship Sakura had eventually let her inner self float to the surface and now it had become impossible to hide anything from the Uchiha. Their relationship was painstakingly honest and for some reason it still worked.

"No need for apologies, I could see you had your hands full," a smirk played on the corner of her lips as she crossed one leg over the other. Not even a second later his lips caught hers in a toe-curling kiss.

"You know whose bed I'll be in tonight," he whispered low against her parted lips, "so there is no need to get nasty…"

"Oiii, Yamato! I didn't think you'd make it back in time for the party!" A very drunk Tsunade whistled at the tall brunette who had just broken through the crowd of people still surrounding the entrance. He smiled sheepishly as he neared their table, caught off guard when the blonde pulled him into the booth beside Jiraiya.

Her green eyes widened, "If Yamato is back then that means…"

Sasuke's gaze was already back on the crowd at the door, his processing slightly faster than Sakura's. A spiky head of gold rose above the other heads, obviously rising from a hug to one of the younger nin who had managed to sneak in. His gaze moved back and forth through the various smiles until cerulean met midnight in a fierce staring contest. The kunoichi's eyes followed her partner's until she sat as stunned as a rabbit cowering before a snake; the boy who completed their triangle had returned.

"Na--"

"I suddenly don't feel well," the Uchiha cut through his name viciously, keeping his eyes on the jinchuuriki while he spoke, "I'll see you at home."

The contest was over, Sasuke had forfeit and disappeared from Sakura's side, rendering the girl speechless as she looked between where the sharingan user once stood and her former teammate. She watched him with wide, curious eyes. She watched him turn to look down at who she now knew to be Hinata, an awkward smirk at the corner of his lips while the expression she held could only be described as sincere bliss. How strange, she thought, that she can look the way I used to when I looked at Sasuke. Downing her fourth and last cup of sake she hopped off the barstool and began a slow saunter towards him…and then stumbled against a different male.

"Excuse me," she said hotly, annoyed that someone had blocked her path.

"Not exactly a substitute for 'hello', but I suppose I'll take it," Yamato said from above her. When she met his gaze his smile as warm as she remembered.

"Yamato…sorry, I was just heading over to see--"

"Naruto, I know." His smile wavered.

Sakura gave him a sideways stare, filled with skepticism, before stepping to move past him; he moved in front of her again. Her back teeth were ground with annoyance.

"Would you mind getting out of my way?" The kunoichi nearly growled.

"There's something you need to know first, Sakura."

"This better be--"

"You need to be careful around Naruto. His personality is slightly…skewed." His expression was grim as he said these words, but the girl's skepticism rose with her eyebrows.

"I think I know Naruto a lot better than the majority of the people in this room."

"You haven't been with him for the past few months, and even before that you and Sasuke have been--"

His words were falling on deaf ears. The moment her gaze drifted past him, sapphire eyes found hers and she was unable to look away. Beside him Hinata was laughing at something Kiba had said, oblivious to where Naruto's attention had moved to. He was playing with her, with only a hint of a smile on his lips, pulling her in with just a look. Silently Sakura moved past her human blockade and navigated through the crowd as if in a daze, but found her destination was moving away from her, back towards the bar and far from the crowd's scrutinizing eye. He left his hand open to hers, hanging in the archway of the liquor storage room and she took it without a second thought.

Pushed into darkness, the blonde was taken aback by the kunoichi's sudden forwardness as she shoved him back against the shelves of various liquors. Her fingers tugged on his mussed spikes as their lips came together in a frenzy of hot kisses, their breaths coming out in animalistic pants. Uzumaki scooped her up by the ass, her thighs curved around his waist as he slammed her back against the opposite shelving. Their tongues rolled against each other, teeth tugging on lips and sucking them to the point of bruises. She could feel him against her, grinding on the only spot that mattered and when his mouth muffled her climatic cry she couldn't remember that last time she felt _so_ good.

Minutes later he was back wandering through the crowd, just as composed as before his little adventure. Meanwhile Sakura disappeared through the back, her heart still aflutter from her overindulgence of pleasure as she ran down the back streets of the village to her home. With swollen lips and glazed eyes she crept through the apartment in hopes that he wouldn't wake up. To her dismay found him sitting on the end of the bed, shirtless and looking pensive. His onyx gaze touched every inch of her body, reading it like a novel that was meant to be his alone. Sakura interpreted his stare with the paranoia that he already knew what she had done, her teeth tugging at the inside of her lip nervously. The kunoichi's uneasiness began to fade as he spread his arms for her. When she reached him he buried his solemn face in her stomach before kissing his way up to her face; his hands felt cold against her skin.

Their familiar lovemaking was sweeter than she remembered it being. Maybe he was scared now that Naruto had finally come back after all those months of absence. Maybe in some alternate universe he would actually come out and say just what he was feeling during those tender moments. She would never be able to read his mind, or coax him into a confession of his love for her. All she knew was that while an Uchiha was desperately trying to love her, she was secretly wishing it was an Uzumaki instead.

So it began. All with just one look.

---

**A/N: **Blah, whatever.

Much love,

Usagi


	3. Remember Me

-1**A/N: **We're on a roll now, and after plenty of encouragement I've been able to steadily write this scandalous little piece. Enjoy and review please!

**Love Fool**

**Chapter 2; **_Remember Me_

---

_Goodbye, my friend, until we meet again_

_Some other day, I know so much will change_

_But looking back I can say, I wouldn't change a day_

_I hope you can say_

_That you understand the only life we have_

_Is here and now, not up in the clouds_

_With every breath we can say, it is a brand new day_

_I know I can say the same._

---

"Naruto…"

Her fingertips slid onto his taught shoulder, the girl's ivory skin almost glowing against his bronze exterior. His head lolled back towards her, craning over the neck of the chair, his expression angelic while he slept. Hinata was unable to hold back her smile.

"Hmm?" Was all that came from behind his lips. His eyelids slowly raised, the blue of his irises a deep navy.

"I…I did not mean to wake you, but I wanted to at least say good-bye before I left on my day mission." She replied in a soft voice.

The blonde slid his hand over hers, remaining silent as his eyes began to close. The Hyuuga's face grew melancholy, wondering if he even cared that she was going to…her cheeks quickly brightened to pink as Naruto raised his other hand to tap his index finger to his lips.

"Well?" He pressed, playful gaze still curtained.

Obligingly she lowered her lips to his. Their kiss was short, but tender and lingering; it was one that would keep her cheeks rosy for the rest of the day. The sliding door clicked shut and the jinchuuriki's eyes snapped open, their deep blue of moments before replaced by a vibrant cerulean with a mischievous glint of red. Jumping up from his chair and not bothering to catch it on its tumble to the floor, he raced to the bedroom, swiping the black tank top from the bed and pulling it over his head. He stumbled when he shoved his feet gracelessly into the usual black sandals but regained his balance once his hand was on the edge of the shouji. It was slid open and shut with a traditional 'clack'.

---

The afternoon could not be anything less than gorgeous. It was warm, the blue sky was clear and a cool breeze pulled through her pink tendrils and tickled her neck. Leaving home her usual training outfit, she had opted on a free-flowing, knee length ivory sundress and wooden sandals on her feet. An empty basket swung at her side as she moseyed through the marketplace, the stalls less busier than she thought they would be.

"Afternoon, Haruno san!" The fruit stall shopkeeper called out to her with a smile, waving her over.

"It's a good thing you called out to me, I nearly forgot that strawberries were on my list…" she replied with a sheepish smile.

The woman smiled back at her, "Keeping the kitchen stocked in your little love nest, are you?"

Sakura couldn't keep the blush from appearing on her cheeks. The entire village knew her living situation and they seemed to have the problem of bringing it up in every casual conversation. With a tied bag of strawberries dropped into her basket she quickly placed the money in the latter's hand.

"I suppose you could say that, but these are mostly for me, Sasuke doesn't have a great taste for sweet things…"

The woman's expression was looking to contradict the kunoichi's statement as if she knew better. In hope to lessen the already deep blush on her cheeks, she quickly thanked the other and hurried down the street to another stall. One bag of strawberries, two packs of beef, a packet of udon noodles, one carton of milk, and two more awkward conversations later, Sakura was ready to go home and fix herself a meal. A heavier basket at her side she decided to take the back streets home, wanting to soak up every moment of the lovely afternoon she so rarely saw.

As she neared the corner she was supposed to turn on, the girl noticed the academy she had attended years ago was rather empty for the middle of the day. Maybe they're all out on training missions, she thought. Stepping towards the fence that enclosed the backyard of the building, Sakura hesitantly slid her fingers onto the wood before pushing the gate open. The yard was the same as she remembered. Lush, cool grass, a strong tree in the corner with a sad looking swing swaying from it. The kunoichi stepped out of her sandals and wiggled her toes between the cold blades, the tiniest of giggles escaping her. Setting down her basket hastily, she hurried to the swing but found that she was reluctant to sit on it once she was there.

That swing had a sense of Naruto about it, a deep sadness that had never left an object that was meant for happiness. Shaking the cheerless thoughts from her mind, she gripped the ropes and plopped down onto the plank of wood. The branch above creaked in response. Slowly Sakura began to urge it back and forth, her slender legs outstretched with lime-colored toenails pointed towards the sky. A bright smile was one her face, one of genuine delight as the skirt of her dress rippled behind her.

"I don't think I've ever smiled once sitting on that thing," came the voice from the rear of her.

Sakura's spine prickled, a rolling wave that ended in raised hairs on her neck. Her ankles slid to a stop in the grass from the unexpected shock. Suddenly his hands were enclosed over hers on the ropes; the kunoichi's breath hitched. Those tan hands warmed her to the depths of her soul--among other places. Steadily her breathing rose to that of normalcy but found she still had no response for him.

"But it was nice to see you having more fun than I ever did," Naruto smirked, noting his former teammate's speechlessness.

Sakura swallowed before carefully choosing her words, "Were you here the entire time?" She asked softly.

"Only long enough to remember how amazing your smile is," he replied, his tone identical to hers.

The blonde took his hands from the ropes. It left the kunoichi wishing they were still there until she found them sliding up her arms and onto her shoulders. Only a few days had passed since their drunken encounter in the liquor closet. The next morning she had pushed it to the back of her mind, hoping it was one stupid decision she would never make again. But when his breath was licking at the back of her ear she knew that the other night was just the beginning.

"Naruto…" it came out in a sigh when it was meant to protest what was about to happen.

His teeth were on her shoulder, nipping their way up her neck, tugging on the earlobe before his hand was gripping her chin and pulling her head to the side so he could claim her lips with his. Sakura's toes curled in the grass. This was better than before; a sober mind trumped her earlier drunken horniness. The jinchuuriki's hands had slid around to her stomach, wrinkling the fabric as they slithered up to her aching breasts.

"Ah! Naru--"

"Get up," he growled against her open lips, cutting off whatever objection she was about to utter.

Sakura clumsily got up from the swing, unsure of just what he was planning. Suddenly the waist of her dress was wrenched back and she spun around in the confusion only to stumble right into his lap. Now sitting on the swing as she had, the blonde pulled her back up to straddle his lap. The hardness against her underwear was too obvious to deny. His mouth was at her neck again while his hands pulled down the straps of her dress, freeing her chest to cool air of the tree's shade. The kunoichi was grinding down against him as his tongue traveled every inch of her breasts, his name on the end of every moan that passed her lips.

"Naruto…please, Naruto," her voice was breathless, eyebrows screwed up in confused ecstasy as she was suckled into bliss. Her nails dragged against his scalp, lost in the gold spikes that were steadily becoming unkempt from her excitement.

He jolted against her, his arousal twitching impatiently; she mewled like a kitten in heat. Before she was aware of it, one of her hands had traveled down to the button of his pants, snapping them open and tugging down the zipper swiftly. Using one hand to lift her dress to her waist, the blonde used the other to pull aside the bridge of her panties, his middle finger dipping down to run against the slickness of her arousal. The kunoichi squirmed against him. Before her pants could turn into protests, he had slid inside her, all the way to the hilt and filling every aching inch. Involuntarily her hips rolled against him, each upward thrust forcing her closer to what she needed.

Their tongues couldn't resist each other. They were caught in a flurry of open-mouthed kisses while their bodies came against each other again and again, until his retreated to find her shoulder. Naruto bit down on the nape of her neck, hard. Sakura cried out, the unexpected pain tipping her into climax while his spilled inside of her.

They sat in that position for what seemed like forever. The pants eventually slowed and the blonde retracted his mouth from the possessive wound he'd left moments before. For a moment she thought his eyes were crimson, but shoved the idea from her mind the instant it revealed itself. Quietly they came apart, buttoning and tying whatever had come undone. Sakura smoothed the wrinkles from her dress, unsure of what to say as that familiar lump formed in her throat. Naruto watched her with a quiet intensity. He had wanted to make her his, but now she looked like a doll that he had broken. Her unspoken regret was painful to see.

"Naruto, I--" she choked.

"Don't say anything, Sakura," he whispered, taking her face in his hands and kissing her with all the tenderness he possessed. She gripped the straps of his tank top as she wrenched her lips from him, the uneven emotions overwhelming her.

"What are we doing?" Sakura said in exasperation, her brow furrowed together. Emerald eyes searched sapphire, but his thoughts were unreadable.

Without the strength to let herself cry in front of him, she pushed him away; her heart was crumbling. The kunoichi rushed to pick up the grocery basket and slip back on her sandals, lip trembling as the tears began to spill onto her cheeks. Sakura ran out of the gate, never looking back and hoping that it was the last time she would give in to something she had always wanted, but had not realized until now.

He watched her run away, dress rippling and tussled hair whipping behind her. Naruto fell back onto the swing, his swing, with a sadness that it had always known to be his. This was not how it was supposed to be.

---

**A/N: **I'm sorry to make the end of the chapter sad when it was going so well…I just don't believe Sakura would have an easy time with the situation, given the circumstances, and despite her willingness with Naruto. Anyhow, next chapter as soon as I figure out how to clean up the mess.

Much love,

Usagi


	4. With Me Tonight

-1**A/N: **This chapter turned up slightly shorter than usual, but I believe it makes up for that in its emotional depth. You should grab a tissue.

**Love Fool**

**Chapter Three; **_With Me Tonight_

---

_Just let me make some time to take it back a little_

_The way you smile shines the heavens above me_

_I'm never gonna let you go,_

_I want you all the time_

_I've gotta prove you can trust me._

_A clean slate, one more day further away._

---

His eyes followed the curve of her cream-colored thigh, right to where they disappeared into the leg holes of his rolled up boxers. She had slithered from their bed and stayed in those clothes all day, braless in her spaghetti strap tank with effortlessly sexy bed hair. He couldn't put his finger on what was different about her.

"Sakura," her name was like silk in his mouth, falling off his tongue in a purr.

"Mmm?" She was busy washing dishes at the sink and he caught the playful hip waggle as she hummed a tune he would never know the name of.

"You're happy about something," he answered simply.

Her scrubbing paused, only for a second, and then she continued.

"What don't I have to be happy about?" The kunoichi let a grin form on her face, tossing a flirtatious green stare over her shoulder.

Sasuke got up from his seat on the edge of the unkempt bed, coming up behind the girl and pressing her into the counter. His lips nuzzled the skin behind her ear and her breathing hitched, eyes fluttering shut as his fingers gripped her hips.

"You drive me crazy," he groaned, settling his chin on her shoulder.

They stood pressed together as seconds turned to minutes, Sakura with a heavy weight of guilt on one shoulder and the weight of the man she was supposed to love on the other. The Uchiha's eyes drifted to the nape of her neck, gaze lingering on what seemed to be a fresh puncture mark.

"I want you here to greet me when I come home," he mumbled suddenly, cutting through her felonious thoughts.

"Where are you going?" She had said it quicker than she meant to.

"I've been ordered to join that Hyuuga girl's group…their one day mission has turned into something a little bit more difficult. I'll be gone a week at the longest."

Sakura nodded. A million things flooded her mind, and she mentally cursed herself for letting Naruto be at the top of the list. Her eyes searched the murky sink water for the words she usually said during these moments but came up short.

"I'll miss you," she whispered, leaning back against his steady frame. Whether it was the truth or not, she knew she would only want him there to guarantee she'd never stray from him again. Her heart wavered.

---

At dusk she left their apartment. She had waited hours until after Sasuke had departed to take a walk so that her mind could wander. Garbed in her usual training outfit she meandered the familiar streets of Konohagakure; the idea of being alone for a week bothered her, especially when Hinata was gone too. As she turned a corner she shot a quick glance towards Ichiraku Ramen, just to be sure a certain blonde was absent from the stools. Thankfully he was nowhere in sight. Her footing paused. Was she actually wary of being near him? Surely she could control herself. Sakura shook her head and quickened her pace, nearly blazing by the ramen stall.

Before the kunoichi knew it, the sky was a deep violet and she found herself at the training grounds. It was unusually empty. This place…

"Has it really been that long?" She asked to no one, her brows screwed up in profound confusion.

These grounds held memories she was sure happened only yesterday. When everyone was still young and naïve and so full of innocence that all that mattered was their friendships. Now she stood in the exact spot she had stood years ago, in a relationship with the boy she thought she'd never have and flirting dangerously in an affair with a boy that still had a hold on her heart.

"Feeling nostalgic?"

Goddamnit. Her fists clenched; she would never catch a break.

"For disaster? No, I can't say I am," she turned to meet his intense blue gaze, those emerald eyes just as formidable. "I suppose you're following me now that you know Sasuke is gone. This is not a game, Naru--"

"I would never call it a game, or anything equally as trivial." He took a step towards her and she took a step back.

"Then what is this? Why are you here?" Her voice cracked and she had to swallow to steady herself; Sakura was not going to cry, not this time.

His eyes traced every part of her. The curve of her cheek, her slim waist, those strong legs…before he came back to the eyes that he wanted to stare into for the rest of his life. Naruto took another step towards her and she mimicked the opposite until she was running backwards and he was chasing her. The kunoichi cursed as she tripped, falling onto the grass ass first with a hiss of pain. In less than a second he was on the ground, grabbing her shoulders and pulling the girl towards him while she tried her hardest to keep him away.

"Stop it, Naruto! You can't keep doing this!" She screamed and kicked and scratched and fought, but he was stronger and she wasn't concentrating like she was supposed to. "I'm not some doll you can pick up and play with whenever you want!"

He was gripping her harder than he meant to, shaking her, unable to stop even when the tears began to fall from her eyes unwillingly. They were wrestling for dominance and Sakura's actions were halfhearted.

"Please…" she was sobbing, "I can't, Naruto, please…"

They sat facing each other, the kunoichi whimpering while Naruto watched with a confused gaze that soon turned to anger.

"How could you think this is all some game!?" He growled, shaking her petite frame in frustration. She shook her head, lips moving with no words leaving them. The tears rolled past her cheeks, leaving tiny puddles as they hit her thighs.

"Sakura!" The blonde grabbed her face and made the girl look at him, but was suddenly at a loss for words.

"I miss how it used to be," she said softly, her lower lip trembling, "I miss how _we_ used to be. I miss my best friend." The smile she offered him was sad, her shoulders sagging dejectedly in a way that pulled on every single one of his heart strings.

Tenderly he gathered her into his arms like a child. His animosity melted away the moment she was cradled in his lap. With her head nestled underneath his chin, he let her sob until there were no tears left. When his eyes finally opened, he found the violet sky had faded to cobalt. Sakura's cries had quieted.

"Just for this week," he began softly, "can it just be us? Can I pretend that you're mine, Sakura?"

She had told herself this was something she would never do again. The kunoichi knew what could happen if someone found them like this. Above all Sakura could not forget the two people who would never find out about the things they had done and were about to do. For the next seven days the only thing that mattered was Naruto.

Swallowing down whatever tears were left, she pulled back and answered him the only way she could manage. Her kiss was welcomed wholeheartedly.

With their pinkies hooked together, they walked side by side all the way back to her apartment, stuck in their own little world of yesterday.

Seven days and counting.

---

**A/N: **I don't know when I became so emotional. I cried when I wrote this. It really tore me up, even though I was the one writing it. The next chapter might be a flashback of what happened before Naruto left on the multiple month-long mission, but I haven't decided yet. I suppose you'll find out when I put it up.

Much love,

Usagi


	5. Escape

-1**A/N: **Just to let everyone know, everything in italics is the PAST. It is what happened before Naruto left. Just wanted to point that out so no one gets confused. I apologize ahead of time for the shortness of this chapter.

**Love Fool**

**Chapter Four; **_Escape_

_---_

_Don't fret precious I'm here,  
Step away from the window  
Go back to sleep  
Safe from pain and truth and choice  
And other poison devils  
See, they don't give a fuck about you,  
Like I do._

_---_

"_I don't know where he gets off." His voice was a hiss and his gaze was dark as he watched the girl in the doorway from his seat on the edge of the bed._

_She pursed her lips, slightly rattled from their earlier encounter._

"_Stay away from him." _

_She should tell him 'no'. She wanted to tell him he had no right to order her about. But deep down she knew it was for the best. She needed to prove that their former teammate was no threat to their relationship._

Sakura's eyes were fixed on the ceiling, unmoving as situations she had forgotten about came back to her mind. Naruto's body was still beside her. His steady breaths hit her cheek as each exhale left his nostrils; a tiny snore every few seconds. The two of them were naked, limbs tangled, with the late morning sunshine warming their skin. The kunoichi turned her head on the pillow to watch her slumbering partner, trying to remember why she had stayed away from him and why Sasuke was so scared.

"Just us…"

He said it on a breath and it was barely a whisper, but it shook the girl to her core.

"_Why are you with him? Why, after all of this time?" Naruto's gaze was fierce as he faced the both of them. The rain was pouring as they all stood in front of the restaurant, the blonde's voice straining to be heard while thunder boomed overhead. Sakura could swear she heard Sasuke growl, his sudden annoyance with the latter growing apparent. _

"_What are you talking about?" She croaked, "Naruto, just what the hell is going on?!"_

"_It's because of him, isn't it?" He thrust his index towards the Uchiha, "He's the reason that we can't even speak alone! How can you love someone who doesn't even trust you? Who cages you like some animal!"_

"_Naruto--!" She took a step forward but Sasuke threw his arm in front of her._

She had repressed that night. That moment had driven a wedge between all three of them and Sasuke was the only one still aware of it. So aware of it in fact that every night he woke up in a cold sweat with the fear that Sakura wouldn't be there. The girl knew all of this and still found herself in the arms of another, betraying any trace of trust her lover still held. What she was doing was selfish, immoral, irrational and a million other words that people could come up with. Sakura had promised this boy a week when she wished she could promise forever.

"Oh," she turned on her side and scooted closer to him, her fingertips sliding down the side of his face, "Naruto."

The blue she saw was better than the sky at sunrise. It was clear and sincere and innocent. It was the opposite of the midnight she had grown accustomed to.

"_I love you."_

_She couldn't tell if he was crying, but his voice was just as steady as the second before. Sasuke's grip on her arm tightened as he tugged her._

"_I loved you when we were kids." He was only staring at her now. They were the only people in the world; his eyes told her so. "I loved you the years I didn't see you."_

_Sakura couldn't look away, even as the latter was tugging her back, too angry for words._

"_I loved you more when I saw you again, even if I could never get the words right." His jaw was tense, brows beginning to narrow. "I even loved you when you chose Sasuke, even when I willed myself to hate you."_

"_Sakura!" Sasuke's voice rumbled._

"_I loved you, Sakura. And I love you still."_

"You should have woken me up," he told her softly, nestling closer to her touch.

She smiled, "Sorry, I was just clearing my head a little…"

He searched her eyes until his drifted to the mark he had left on her shoulder just a few days before. Suddenly his brows were furrowed.

"I did that to you," his thumb brushed over the fading scar and she winced.

"It's alright, still a little tender, but alright."

"I'm sor--"

"Don't." She stopped him, bringing his eyes back to hers. "Don't waste this with apologies."

They stared at each other while the sun drifted to its noon position, too involved to care what time or what day it was. The kisses he gave her were the most tender she had ever felt. His fingers were in her hair and on her shoulders, laced between hers as they rolled beneath the sheets. Sakura was kissing him back desperately, her toes curled and she giggled when his laugh rumbled against her heart.

_Even when Naruto turned to leave her eyes never left his back. Even when Sasuke was pulling her in the opposite direction her heart was screaming at her to break free and follow the other boy. She was caged and the blonde was offering her the key to the lock. Could she really deny everything that had passed between them throughout the years?_

Her back arched into his touch as they came against each other in a slow, unbroken rhythm. His lips brushed every inch he had missed the night before; the underside of her breast, the crook of her elbow, the corner of her jaw. She was overcome by the care he took in making sure Sakura felt satisfied and loved and…oh, how he knew all of her soft spots. Noon turned to dusk and dusk faded into night and they remained in those covers. The two made love and slept, over and over, never eating and remaining hungry just for each other. They made up for every moment they never shared.

With six days left, Sakura was already letting her heart become attached to his. As he fell asleep with his head on her chest and her fingers in his mussed blonde spikes, she didn't care.

"_Swear it." He commanded threateningly._

_He was asking the impossible, even as she cried in front of him; all of her hope was drifting away from her._

"_I swear."_

_---_

**A/N: **I'm sorry if the format was confusing for anyone, it was kind of switching back and forth between the present and what happened before Naruto left. And it was short--sorry--and sweet, and I feel satisfied with it. Thank you Tim for your sexy song!

Much Love,

Usagi


	6. Eclipsed

**Author's Notes: **I normally have lyrics in my opening, but in this chapter I've sprinkled them in between paragraphs as sort of a…background. If you care to look up the song it's Aqualung's "Strange and Beautiful" which is also in the summary of this story. It just all ties together! 

**EDIT:**After reading a few reviews about things I was already feeling, I extended the ending scene and gave a bit more detail to what was going on before it. Also, while the definition of what 'rape' is might differ with some people, I just want to let everyone know there is no _rape_ in this story. And please, DO NOT write a review on how you believed it to be rape anyway.

---

**Love Fool  
Chapter Five; **_Eclipsed_

---

He had settled against the base of a nearby tree, longing for isolation from the rest of the group while his mind drifted to thoughts of the girl he was vexed about. The Uchiha had begun to nod off, but the crunching of grass from approaching footsteps made his head snap up; his sharingan had yet to fade to black. The red gaze caught Hinata off guard and she stood still as they stared at each other.

"I did not mean to wake you up." She said quietly, already turning to leave. "I'm sure you want to be alone."

"What did you want?"

The Hyuuga turned back to him, apprehensive to start a conversation with an already touchy subject. Sasuke gave a heavy sigh, straightening up against the trunk until he was comfortable. When he looked back towards her, his eyes were the color of coal.

"Are you worried?" Hinata remained standing, her expression somewhat sheepish.

"What would I have to be worried about?" He knew her thoughts had been elsewhere the entire mission, just as his had. Though Sasuke was better at masking it, he cursed himself mentally for allowing her to pick up on it just as easily as if he hadn't.

"Naruto kun doesn't talk about it, but I know the two of you--"

"Do you love him?" The seriousness of his tone cut through her statement but his apathetic stare contradicted its meaning.

Her confusion showed on her face. The other's question was blunt and as her cheeks grew hot she stuttered in response, "I…w-well, of course, of course I l-love him."

"Then do you trust him?" He started to stand.

"Well, I--"

"Do you think Sakura would stray from me?" The Uchiha kept up his emotionless mask, watching her stumble with her words while his demeanor continued to confuse her.

"I don't really k-know her that--"

"I would never let her." He was walking toward her, then paused at Hinata's side. A sad expression flickered across the boy's face, one that the girl could not see, and for that he was thankful. "She isn't a threat to you, I would never let her be."

His footsteps faded away and the Hyuuga stood there, unable to shove the paranoia from her thoughts despite Sasuke's parting words. Yes, she loved Naruto, and yes, she trusted him, but what could she do if he did not love her back?

---

The best word to describe Sakura's outfit and hair was disheveled. Although, Naruto noticed, she did seem to have a wonderful glow on her face as she talked and laughed while she found clothes to wear. The blonde smirked.

"Why can't I come with you?" He whined, grabbing her wrist and pulling the girl towards him.

She grinned, a playful glint in her eye, "Because, you know what's going to happen if people see us out together."

"Sakuraaaa…" he hugged her around the waist and buried his face against her stomach.

"I'm not going to disappear." She said tenderly, running her fingers through his soft golden spikes, "I'll come home, and I'll be all yours…"

As he inhaled, the flowery scent of her wafted through his nostrils. Naruto caught a hint of his musk and a territorial sense of pleasure washed over him.

"All mine." He repeated, rising up to give her a parting kiss.

Reluctantly she pulled away, unable to keep from throwing looks over her shoulder as she neared the front door. Fumbling with the handle it was finally open and shut. For the first time in those few days, Naruto felt cold.

It was a short walk from the apartment to the market, but Sakura found she was walking quickly anyway; she was in a hurry to get back to the boy waiting for her. Ignoring the odd looks from the shop keepers, the kunoichi picked out everything the two had a taste for, throwing everything into the basket at her side. Just as she was finishing out the list, she caught sight of a familiar face in the next stall over. It was a face that had already noticed her.

"Sakura, evening," Yamato allowed a tiny smile creep onto his face as he walked towards her.

"I didn't expect to run into you here," Sakura replied back with a smile. "How are you?"

"Oh, I'm fine, everything's fine." He nodded, his eyes running over her and taking in the messy appearance. His lips parted to add something else, but she interrupted him.

"My memory from that party is a little fuzzy, but I'm sorry if I was rude to you. I wasn't exactly having a great night and maybe had a little too much…"

"Where have you been?" He interjected suddenly. Sakura's brows raised.

"Excuse me?" They were both observing each other now, and the kunoichi had a feeling the conversation was taking an unexpected turn for the worse.

"No one has seen you since Sasuke left." His eyes were serious now. "Where have you been?"

"Where I've been is none of your business," she was jumping to the defensive, her expression stern. "Well, have a good night Yamato."

Sakura turned to walk away from him, her mood sour as she mumbled incoherent curses. Yamato went after her, clasping her wrist with his hand and pulling her back. She swung around, ready to kick hairs until the latter beat her to the punch.

"I warned you," his expression was grim and his tone was dangerous. "I told you to not to get near him, Sakura."

"Let go of me," she hissed, trying to wrench her arm from his grasp.

"His inside is twisted. Once he's got you, he won't let you go."

"I don't know what the hell you're talking about! Yamato, let go of me!"

"Sakura, you have to listen to me!"

In his loneliness Naruto had begun to wander the apartment in attempt to take his mind off Sakura. He found no trace that Sasuke had ever been there, all of it held a part of her and the blonde eased into a comfortable happiness. The side wall of the living room was covered in framed photographs from over the years and he walked toward it, hoping to find one of himself. His eyes followed them like a time line.

_I've been watching your world from afar, I've been trying to be where you are…_

"You don't know him, Yamato, you don--"

"I know him, Sakura, I spent months with him, watching him change. He'll only hurt you in the end."

A beach trip with Ino, a party with the old genin squads, a candid shot from the hospital…Naruto couldn't find any part of him here. A dangerous cocktail of jealousy and anger swelled up inside of him.

_To me, you're strange and you're beautiful, you'd be so perfect with me but you just can't see…_

"He hasn't changed, I've been with him, I've been with him since Sasuke left!"

Tsunade, Kakashi, even Lee and Gai; where was he? And then he found it. Mixed in the middle of all of the frames, a silver one, bordering a photo of Sakura and Sasuke. They both looked blissful.

_You turn every head but you don't see me._

Yamato released her, mostly from the shock of hearing what he already knew to be true come from her mouth. Angry tears lined her eyes, unable to find the words to express her upset thoughts. Instead she turned and ran, leaving the latter speechless as he watched the girl go.

The jinchuuriki's arm pulled back and his fist slammed into the picture, several other ones clattering to the floor while the glass cracked and dug into his knuckles. Blood trickled over his fingers while he took slow, heavy breaths, oblivious to the sound of the front door opening and slamming shut. The kunoichi took in the scene laid out in front her before speaking quietly and carefully.

"What did you do?"

_You'll fall asleep and I'll put a spell on you._

Being careful not to step on the shards she came next to him, staring down at the one photo that was evident of the other's rage. A heavy dose of reality hit her while she lingered on the picture of Sasuke and her, tattered and broken and decorated in droplets of Naruto's blood.

"Naruto," she felt as if she was standing in the background, watching all of it unfold while her voice sounded miles away.

"If you tell me it was him," his voice was husky. "Tell me it was Sasuke that didn't want any part of me here and I won't be mad at you."

A sob gurgled in her throat and she was shaking her head.

"Say it Sakura," the huskiness had faded to a feral growl.

"I can't blame him," she whispered. "It was too hard for me…"

"Why?" He turned to face her, unable to hide the resentment on his face.

The girl turned her sad eyes on him with every hope that he would know what she felt, without having to say it. His gaze was not one she wanted to see. Those irises usually so ocean blue were a deep scarlet, the black lines that marred his cheeks more prominent while his canines resembled what she knew to be fangs. Another sob caught in her throat and she lifted her hands to cup his cheeks.

"Naruto, you don't have to be upset, please," her voice was shaky, trying to be strong despite her fear. "Listen to me, please, only listen to me…"

Grabbing either side of her arms he pushed her up against the remaining photos and she squeaked from his unexpected roughness.

_And when I wake you, I'll be the first thing you see…_

"Tell me you only want me, Sakura," he hissed. "Tell me I'm the only one."

"I'm yours," the kunoichi kept her hands on his face, stroking his whiskers as the tears fell over her cheeks. "Only yours."

His anger softened with that answer and though his kisses felt hungry and possessive, there was a veiled tenderness. Her heart was reaching out for Naruto, taking care to make him understand she wanted to be there for him, that she accepted him and all of his faults. Pushing her farther up against wall, he was gripping her thighs to the point of bruises until she finally wrapped them around his waist. The jinchuuriki tore away her lower garments and wasted no time; he thrust into her quickly without care to prepare her. Sakura cried out in agony, the girl's nails digging into his shoulders.

With each thrust her back slammed against the wall, the remaining frames falling to the floor with a tinkle of broken glass. All Sakura could hear were the blonde's low pants and possessive words. I only want you, Sakura, he would whisper, and I want you to only need me. She knew that this wasn't him. She knew that deep down inside him, this other being, was bringing every single selfish, possessive thought to the surface just from the sole fear of losing her. Ignoring his brusqueness, the kunoichi gave him her softest kisses. Her fingers were gentle as they fluttered across his skin and through those blonde spikes. Her tongue caressed each fang and tickled his lower lip. And suddenly Naruto went silent.

She could feel him shaking as he came inside her, overwhelmed by his roller coaster of emotions. The boy slumped against her, still catching his breath while the girl stroked his face and purred sweet nothings in his ear. Slowly she peeled away from him and took the majority of his weight as he leaned on her for support. The glass crunched beneath her feet as she stumbled back to her bedroom with the jinchuuriki exhausted at her side. They fell back into the sheets, the blonde on top of her in a deep slumber. Sakura continued on with butterfly kisses and soft whispers until the heart beating rapidly against her chest slowed to a comfortable pace.

Her fear faded away and a warmth washed over her entire body. Only an Uzumaki could make her feel this way.

_And you'll realize that you love me._

---

**Author's Notes: **I hope you're putting it all together now. You're crazy, Yamato, just, crazy. By the way, for any Hinatatard reading this, I'm sorry if I uh, got her character wrong? I really just…dislike her, and that sort of gets in the way of analyzing her correctly. Until next time then.

**EDIT:**I hope everyone enjoyed this version better, I know I do. It shows a bit more light on what actually is going on.

Much Love,  
Usagi


	7. Hushabye

**Author's Notes: **I'm sorry for the late update everyone! I was trying to make it weekly, but I came across a bit of writer's block during some parts. But now it's here and I hope you enjoy it.

**Love Fool  
Chapter Six; **_Hushabye_

--

_We love our tragedies.  
We're both broken in our own little ways  
We're broken, but we fit together just right  
You know I saw the black inside your eyes  
I saw they were eclipsed by mine and they looked just right. _

_--_

The sun was warm on his bare back as he walked side-by-side with Hinata on the road that snaked its way toward Konohagakure. For the most part they were silent. The only conversation between the two of them were the identical crunches of gravel beneath their feet. Sasuke craned his neck from one side to the other and the girl winced as it cracked twice.

"I know that you did not volunteer to come out on the mission," she began, "but I just wanted to say thank you."

"I was just doing what I was told," he replied coldly.

The Uchiha was making it painfully obvious he was not one to hold any type of conversation, so Hinata turned her eyes back to the road ahead and kept her mouth shut. Their return seemed never-ending and when the silence grew deafening the Hyuuga opened her mouth and blurted out what had been on her mind since their evening conversation.

"What did you mean? What you said about Sakura, a few nights ago. What did you mean?"

His footsteps halted immediately. His jaw was tight and as she looked at his face, she regretted opening her mouth.

"You don't have to--" she fumbled.

"Sakura is mine." He interrupted her with a calm tone. "I have no intentions of allowing her to be anyone else's."

Hinata raised her eyebrows. His reply made confusion flash across her face. Did Sakura know this was how Sasuke felt about her?

"You can't possess someone just because you love them, Sasuke. Sakura san is not a material item."

"Oh, and I suppose you're some relationship guru?" He hissed before his tone turned condescending. "You don't even know, do you?"

"I don't know what--"

"Months ago, during your oh-so-perfect relationship, Naruto confessed to Sakura." Sasuke went rigid, his hands balled into fists as the memory came back to him. "Told her he loved her, right in front of me."

"I don't believe you." She immediately replied, turning on her heel and continuing on the road ahead of him.

"You think I would make something like that up!?" He called to her back. "You think I just make up scenarios in my head--"

"Naruto would never do that to me!" She shouted over her shoulder before breaking into a run. If he was telling the truth and Naruto and Sakura were in the village together while neither of them were there, then Hinata wanted to be the first person to return home and prove Sasuke wrong.

--

She sat on the edge of the bed with her knees hugged to her chest, watching as dawn broke through the balcony window. The blonde was slumbering behind her; she didn't have the heart to wake him and break the spell of their week together. The kunoichi heaved a deep sigh. How was she going to say good bye?

"Good morning," he grumbled from behind her before placing a kiss on her shoulder. She was startled by his unexpected greeting, but smiled nonetheless. Sakura leaned back and he cradled her against his chest, his chin resting on top of her head as they watched the rising sun together.

"Naruto," she said his name softly, "what am I supposed to say?"

"You're not saying 'good bye' if that's what you're asking." He replied instantly without a thought. Sakura sat up and looked over her shoulder with raised eyebrows.

"You're going to have to explain that one."

His serious gaze did not waiver, "If you believe that I'm just going to give you a kiss on the cheek and leave you alone, you're not as smart as you claim to be."

"And if you think that I'm to flit back and forth between you and Sasuke, you're more of an idiot than I already knew you to be!" She shot back in a huff and got off the bed, spinning around to face his half-naked form. "This was it, Naruto, this was our week, our get out of jail free card, remember? You asked me, just for one week. I'm not going to tear up all of my relationships for you!"

"Then I'm asking you for more," his brows narrowed, "I can't just have one week. I need weeks, months…I need years, Sakura. I can't limit myself to only seven days with you."

"Oh, so you want to have your cake and eat it too?" She threw up her hands and stared at him in disbelief. "How can you be so selfish!? How can you sit there and seriously ask me to come home to Sasuke after I finish a bedroom meeting with you? Like I'm some…some!" Sakura grit her teeth and lowered her tone. "Some slut!"

"How can you assume that I would ask you to do that?!" He jumped up and closed the distance between them, both of their faces stubborn with defiance. "Just be with me, only me, Sakura."

"Just with you?" She looked at him as if she could not believe this conversation was happening. Naruto wanted her to forget about Sasuke altogether and begin a relationship with him; he would do the same to Hinata. Sakura took a step back and shook her head, the thought of their situation spiraling out of control overwhelming her mind.

"Don't lie to me, Sakura. Don't tell me that you have no feelings for me." He spoke to her softly, carefully. "Don't even think to say that you don't love me."

Her expression snapped into that of a girl who had been caught red-handed. The blonde wanted to smile but held back, knowing that she would shy away even more if he laughed at his discovery.

"Love you." She said slowly, as if she was getting a feel for the words. "I…I love Sa--," she looked off to the side, unable to say the name she had hoped to.

Naruto closed the distance between them once more and took her face into his hands as gently as he could. The kunoichi watched as those ocean blue eyes pleaded for her answer, filled with every single emotion he possessed. "Just tell me this isn't the last time we see each other."

"Shut up, Naruto," she pushed his hands from her face and before he could protest, they were kissing and he was smiling and she was doing everything she could to keep from crying. The door shut behind him with her fingers lingering on the wood, taking deep breaths as she tried to interpret her own response.

"I'll see you," he had said with that hopelessly hopeful grin.

--

For the first time in her life, someone besides Neji had ruffled Hinata's feathers to the point of helpless frustration. She just about blazed through the village gates, leaving the ninjas on patrol absolutely baffled as the Uchiha kept up his leisurely pace when he passed by minutes later. Their homes were on opposite sides of the village and it wasn't until they came to their split that Sasuke quickened his steps; his own statements were fueling his hidden paranoia.

The kunoichi rounded all the familiar corners, saying 'hello' politely to the passerby that greeted her, but kept her thoughts on finding Naruto in the same chair she'd left him in, awaiting her return. She entered the Hyuuga compound and found it to be predictably peaceful, but wasted no time in taking notice. Instead, she headed straight for her room. Gripping the edge of the shouji, she slid it open with a 'clack' and stepped onto the tatami mat. The air was still and it was as if no one had been there in days.

"Naruto kun?" Her inquiry was hopeful, expecting to see a spiky head of blonde pop out from behind a corner of the room. That hope was quickly stolen away when the only response she got was silence. The shouji slid shut with another 'clack' and Hinata's accelerated footsteps against the wood echoed in the hallway.

--

He had meant to go to the Hyuuga compound without any stops, but when he noticed a familiar brunette coming out of the Ichiraku stall he couldn't help himself.

"Oiii, Kiba!" He waved down his former classmate, earning a canine grin from the latter.

"A little early for lunch, aren't you?"

"What are you talking about?" His expression was genuine confusion. "You just came from eating, didn't you?"

"Yea, but I get up before 2 in the afternoon."

Naruto snorted and shoved his shoulder before the brunette broke into laughter. As he settled down and caught his breath, a scent tickled his nostrils on the inhale and suddenly the blonde had that look of confusion back on his face.

"What's with the weird look, Kiba?"

Kiba's eyes met the other's, filled with suspicion and misunderstanding. His gaze drifted away slowly. That smell was not what it was supposed to be and should not have been so rich.

"Oi, Kiba, what's wrong with you?"

"You reek, Naruto," his tone was low, careful.

"Excuse me?" He popped up an eyebrow, "You're gonna tell me I smell?"

He was quiet as the memory of him slinking off after Sakura in the bar came back; a memory that he had shaken off as nothing. Now he reeked of the girl. It made Inuzuka nauseous to think that the jinchuuriki was actually going behind Hinata's back just to be with her.

"You…you were with her." Kiba said in a tone of disbelief, turning narrowed eyes on Naruto.

"What?" Now both his eyebrows were up.

His disbelief faded to anger, anger that rooted from his own feelings for his former teammate. He found his fists clenched and his jaw taut while the other staring at him grew unsettled.

"Kiba--"

"Son of a bitch!" He growled before shoving Naruto against the side of a nearby building, his fangs bared.

"What the hell is your problem?!" Naruto snarled in response, shoving Kiba back.

"You think you can treat her like shit and get away with it!" The brunette forced him back to the wall.

As they stared down each other, both breathing heavily with the look of utter detest on their face, a realization hit the blonde like a ton of bricks. All of this was for Hinata.

"Kiba kun!"

The two of them turned their heads and found the girl that had started the fight staring back at them, her eyes wide and full of perplexity. They broke apart as she came towards them, frowns still lining their lips.

"What is…what's going on?" She looked back and forth between the brunette and the blonde, momentarily forgetting her mistrust that had fueled the search for Naruto.

Kiba clucked his tongue and left his gaze downcast before mumbling and striding past the Hyuuga briskly. She turned to watch him go but stumbled back when the jinchuuriki strode past her as well, consumed by his irritation.

"N-Naruto kun!" She called out to him desperately, reaching out to grab onto the back of his shirt. He swung around to glower at her, those ocean blues claimed by their red counterpart. Hinata inhaled sharply, letting go of his shirt and taking a step back.

_You have no need for her…_

The blonde shook the voice from his head and turned to leave once more, leaving behind a shaken kunoichi that had no idea what was going on.

--

"I said 'Hello' twice already." Sasuke stared at Sakura with a solemn expression, bothered that she still hadn't noticed he'd come home. Her eyes drifted from the glass balcony doors and suddenly came alive as they met the other's.

"Oh, you're home." Was all the girl could manage.

He shook his head in disbelief and held back the frown he wanted so badly to reveal. His jaw shifted as he clenched and unclenched it, while Sakura watched him with uncertainty. They stared at each other, studying expressions, looking for any sign that would reveal what they were thinking. When it seemed as if the girl was about to say something, the Uchiha cut her off.

"You're not going to see him again." He said sternly.

They watched each other again and he was surprised she gave him no reaction to his command. Then as her eyes drifted to her lap, she simply nodded and said nothing. Sasuke held no desire to touch her or tell her how he really felt, so instead the front door was opened and slammed shut. He left Sakura alone in an apartment filled with the presence of a boy that wasn't him.

--

**Author's Notes: **Alright guys, so that was chapter six, and I hope I didn't disappoint anyone with the events that happened during it. Again, I apologize if I got Hinata's character wrong, but as interpretation stems from an individual, it's hard for me to see her any other way. And I honestly don't know if I got Kiba right, I used him based off his--or what I saw as--affection/caring towards Hinata. Please review if you get the chance! Until next time.

Much Love,  
Usagi


	8. Something About Us

**Author's Notes:** I'm late, I'm late. I knoooow. And it's short…kind of. Lovelovelove.

**Love Fool  
Chapter Seven;** _Something About Us_

**--**

_Why does it always  
Have to be like this?  
Always desperate  
In a goodbye kiss  
Now I'm back from the dead  
With you in my head_

**--**

No one would say anything. Her entire world was silent. Day after day she would sit on the living room couch and watch as blue became black before waking up to blue again. She never asked if Sasuke knew what had transpired while he was away, and he never came out and accused her of it. Instead, they walked past each other in silence, their words hanging above them, showing no signs of ever coming down.

Just seeing her infuriated and pained him. The frustration stemmed from the paranoia of wondering if he was the one who drove her to someone else. The pain came from that paranoia, unable to understand why he wasn't good enough for her. She was everything he had. The mere possibility of losing Sakura made him remember just how alone he was.

If the silent treatment from one boy wasn't enough, she had heard nothing from a certain blonde…not that she was waiting for some kind of signal. Being with Naruto had gotten her into the current state of affairs and it did not need to get worse. Although, she had high doubts that the jinchuuriki would ever treat her this way.

Maybe the kunoichi would take it upon herself to break the silence.

**--**

"Naruto kun…?" The seed that Sasuke had planted in Hinata's mind had been watered and was now blooming into a flower of the paranoid variety. The Hyuuga had all the signs layed out in front of her, but didn't know what to do with them. Naruto was staring at her as if she wasn't there. Then once she closed the distance and his eyes focused on her's, his expression faded to mild annoyance.

"What?" It looked like he had a bad taste in his mouth and was tempted to spit it on the ground next to her.

Her brows furrowed, "Were you still going to come to the market with me? You told me last night you would…"

His face gave his inner thoughts away. The boy's eyes shifted into a when-would-I-ever-agree-to-that? look, and let out a cough-like laugh before turning to walk away into the bedroom. Hinata stood there, looking hopeless. This was not the boy she loved. Naruto was caring, somewhat dense, but he wasn't cold and he most certainly was never blatantly mean.

"What's wrong with you?" She asked quietly, reaching forward to grab the hand at his side.

He recoiled and turned away from her, but remained silent. Hinata felt the tears prick in her eyes and she shook her head.

"Just tell me what I'm doing wro--"

"Stop being ridiculous." He growled. "It's not all about you, you know." The blonde shot her a glare over his shoulder before striding towards the door and slamming the shouji shut.

The Hyuuga stood there, dumbfounded and overwhelmed by the hurtful words he'd left behind. Tears rolled over her cheeks and hit the wood in tiny splatters. Her world was crumbling around her.

As he came around the fence of the Hyuuga compound, a heavy scowl on his face, he began to realize just how deeply he had dug the grave he was currently brooding in. Mentally he cursed the situation, pushing aside demonic thoughts that were not his, and then kicked the pebbles in his path as kept his pace towards an unknown destination.

She saw his retreating back and quickly caught her breath, clutching the cloth of her vest over her heart.

"Naruto!" It was laced with desperation and longing and everything she never meant it to have, but once it had left her lips, there was no going back.

The kunoichi's heartbeats paused as he began to turn his head, those cerulean eyes meeting her's in slow motion.

"Sa…" he stared at her as if it had been years since they last were in each other's company, until a heartfelt grin spread across his face. "Sakura."

Without having to ask her, she ran forward at full speed and they came together like two pieces of a puzzle that had been missing for far too long. Sakura leapt into his arms and found his lips instantly, burying her fingers in those soft golden spikes while she sighed into his mouth. It was public. It was reckless. It was immoral.

And it was everything Sakura craved for at that very moment.

With fingers intertwined, they weaved through all the familiar streets back to the jinchuuriki's apartment, stumbling against a building or a fence every few moments to kiss like lovestoned teenagers. Naruto carried her up the steps to his home, kissing her every length of the way until they finally lurched into the entry hall and slammed the door behind them. The two stood face to face now. Sakura was pressed against the door, her breath equally as haggard as the boy staring hungrily into her eyes.

"Say it, Sakura." His breath tickled her lips and they parted in response. She knew what he wanted, and she knew she had to answer him honestly.

"I was going crazy without you." She whispered, and the blonde's hips jolted against her crotch. Her lips parted more, the tiniest mewl of excitement escaped them.

"And?" He pressed, twisting his fingers between her's and stroking them tenderly.

"I couldn't wait any longer for you to come see me," she said in an even quieter tone, "because if you never did…"

"Sakura," the boy sighed her name, moving to close the distance between their lips until her final words stopped his actions.

"…if you never did, it would have broken my heart." She kissed him once and then hovered over his parted lips. "Because I love you Naruto…so much…"

The lust surging through his body faded away and was replaced by a heartwrenching desire just to be near her and never let go. They stood pressed against each other in the longest moment of silence, the tips of their noses brushing as each breath collided in syncronized exhales. Then, ever so slowy, he began to take backward steps, leading Sakura into the apartment and right to the edge of his predictably unkempt bed.

"Sakura," he spoke tenderly against her lips, their fingers still tangled between each other.

"I love you," she answered his silent request to hear those words again, drawing up his hands to rest against her cheeks. "Naruto."

Sakura kissed him gently before pulling his shirt over his head, the neckhole leaving his hair in a muss. Piece by piece the clothing fell into a pile on the floor and then it was just them, tangled in each other and the mess they had created.

She told him she didn't want to think about anything other then what happened during these moments together. She told him she wanted to pretend that in this moment, they were the only two people in the whole world, and nothing else mattered.

She told him she loved him…and she meant it.

**--**

**Author's Notes:** So, you guys are totally gonna kill me, huh? Haha, I'm sorry. I've been super busy with work and have been messing around with this update--and I kind of got distracted with another NaruSaku FC contest.

It was short. If you didn't realize. I plan on taking time for the next chapter to be…a good chunk of the story, so it will take me a little bit longer to get it out. BUT. I hope you enjoyed this one.

And uh, you should have all figured out why Naruto has been such an asshole to Hinata by now. ( And it's not because I horribly dislike her, hahahaha. )

_Much love,  
Usagi_


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